For experiments in fluorescence microscopy, e.g. during examination of living preparations, temperature control of the preparations is required. In order to avoid a temperature sink, the microscope objective is also heated in addition to the sample, so that the microscope objective is used, for example, in a temperature range of from 20 to 40° C. Since microscope objectives are often designed for a much narrower temperature range, spherical aberrations occur, for example, at temperatures outside said narrow temperature range, said aberrations causing the resolution to deteriorate.
Further, in microscopy, in particular in laser scanning microscopes, optical sections are often performed at different depths of the sample. For this purpose, either the sample is moved along the optical axis of the microscope objective, or the entire microscope objective is moved. In doing so, the distance between the front lens and the sample surface is modified, which may lead to mechanical vibrations at high focusing speeds. If the microscope is operated with a liquid immersion medium, these vibrations may be disadvantageously transmitted to the sample.
In view thereof, it is an object of the invention to provide a microscope objective by which the above-described difficulties can be overcome.